9 minute read
Dining in Killarney
Local actor Michael Fassbender, who has made it big in Hollywood, plans to make a movie about motor racing.
The world’s greatest endurance race and the make belief world of Hollywood have lived side-by-side for decades. That relationship may not always have been harmonious but that could change thanks to the actor turned professional race driver. In the past, Hollywood depictions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans’ have always irked die-hard motor racing fans. Even the 2019 blockbuster, ‘Ford v Ferrari Le Mans ’66’, which starred Matt Damon, Christian Bale and Irish actress Caitriona Balfe, managed to avoid, on the whole, changing the true story. Hollywood legend Steve McQueen’s 1971 classic ‘Le Mans’ has more appeal for racing fans over film buffs as it includes real footage from 1970s races - but it was a box-office flop. “Depending on who you talk to, Le Mans is either the best film of all time or a collection of racing footage that’s loosely tied together with something resembling a plot. Both of these descriptions sound just fine to us,” says US automotive journalist Jay Ramey. Hollywood and Le Mans are set to join forces (or maybe clash) again and thanks to Fassbender and the fact versus fiction argument is about to be settled for once and for all. “My first dream has always been to go racing, even before the acting. It was always very clear to me from a young age. I always felt an affinity with cars, I felt a connection with driving and speed,” Fassbender, who starred in ‘12 Years a Slave’, ‘X-Men’ and Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien: Covenant’ and ‘Prometheus’, said. That dream has become more than a reality in recent years. He is in his second season in the European Le Mans Series, an international championship that is only a few steps away from racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans itself. The fact that Fassbender is a racing driver who also happens to be a very good actor and not an actor who is also a racing enthusiast like McQueen, can only mean the Hollywood’s next adaption of the great race will equally appeal to petrolheads and movie goers. “My father was always a keen driver. He taught me how to drive. So at a young age I was lucky enough to be allowed in the car. I always tried to go as fast as I could on the straight and take that hairpin as fast as I could,” he says. Two years ago he was the Rally of the Lakes ambassador and drove a specially-prepared Ford Escort rally car on the two-day race that is run over closed public roads in the Killarney hinterland. Prior to his local debut he raced in the prestigious Ferrari Challenge in America including taking one outright win during the 2018 season – his second year driving in the championship. “It’s a lot more fun prepping for this than learning lines at home, the downside being, if you miss an apex or mess up a corner, you don’t get a ‘take two’.” The 2019 Rally of the Lakes was the start of his own road to Le Mans and his dream to contest the most-famous endurance race in the world. For the 2020 season, Fassbender joined the Germany-based Team Proton Competition, which is partially owned by fellow Hollywood A-lister and motor racing fan Patrick Dempsey, and set on the ‘Road to Le Mans’. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for August this year.
A town with the recipe for success
Whether you spend your day sightseeing in a jaunting car, hiking or biking in the National Park, or browsing in the shops, a day spent in Killarney is a day spent building up your appetite. The good news is you will be utterly spoilt for choice when it comes to restaurants, bar-food options and cafés in this town.
LORD KENMARE’S
Lord Kenmare’s offers mouth-watering cuisine. Its menu could be described as Mediterranean cooking with an Irish twist. Take the crabmeat and shrimp starter for example. It’s served with red pepper pesto, apple, and lemon and dill mayonnaise. The main courses are just as imaginative. You’re likely to be torn between the likes of pork belly braised in whiskey, Calvados and honey and the renowned Paella Royal which includes prawns, mussels, squid and fresh monkfish.
CELLAR ONE
The menu at Cellar One in The Ross Hotel is equally tempting. Here, you can expect starters such as slow-cooked vine tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, salsa verde and olive bread and intriguing mains like the baked prosciutto-wrapped hake in a crab crust with a spicy lentil salad and a coconut and ginger sauce.
CAFÉ DU PARC
Café du Parc, neighbouring the stunning natural beauty of Killarney National Park, is the perfect spot to enjoy a pint of Guinness, a glass of wine or a delicious cocktail. Café du Parc serves breakfast from 8:30am – 12pm and lunch from 12pm – 5pm from Monday – Saturday, while the popular Weekend Funky Brunch is served from 10am – 3pm every Sunday. Teas, coffees, cocktails, wine and beer are served every day until late.
HANNIGAN’S
Drop into Hannigan’s Bar & Restaurant at the Killarney International Hotel for an excellent meal, centred on quality ingredients sourced locally and served with pride by friendly and professional staff. You will enjoy delicious, Irish food in a warm, relaxed atmosphere.
CURIOUS CAT WINE BAR
One of Killarney’s newest kids on the block is Curious Cat Wine Bar. Located on New Market Lane, just off High Street, it serves up wine and tapas and is perfect for catching up with friends or enjoying an intimate date or a relaxing drink after work.
MURPHY BROWNES
Two friends with a shared vision came together early last year to create this awardwinning restaurant. Delicious Irish food served in relaxed surroundings is quickly becoming a favourite of locals. Pop in for Dee’s signature salad or a steak from the butcher located right next door.
THE GARDEN ROOM
The Garden Room is the main restaurant at the Great Southern. This iconic restaurant is equally famed for its magnificent gilt domed ceiling as it is for its gourmet cuisine. The menu features an exciting mix of traditional recipes, artfully prepared with a modern twist. Dinner is served from 6.30pm until 9.30pm daily.
CELTIC WHISKEY BAR
The Celtic Whiskey Bar & Larder on New Street brings something new to the dining scene in Killarney. As you may have guessed from its name, it’s dedicated to Irish whiskeys, gins, vodkas, craft beers and ciders. However, it’s not just a drinking house; its menu offers wholesome dishes such as creamy fish pie to provide muchneeded ballast to the alcohol on offer.
HERBERT RESTAURANT
The Herbert Restaurant at Cahernane House Hotel commands beautiful views. The restaurant was refurbished this year and is now complete with luxury furnishings. Dinner is served each evening from 6.30pm to 9pm. It was recently awarded two AA Rosettes in recognition of culinary excellence, using the finest locally sourced seasonal produce. An enviable choice of wines and cocktails is available.
THE YEW TREE
The award-winning Yew Tree Restaurant at the Muckross Park Hotel showcases the best local ingredients on its menu. Start with the Dingle lobster bisque and follow that with Ring of Kerry lamb. Finally, a plate of regional cheeses served with crisp breads and house preserves will ensure you finish your meal in the best local style.
KATE KEARNEY’S
Kate Kearney’s Cottage has long been a destination restaurant and here you will enjoy world-class dining along with the world-class scenery of the Gap of Dunloe.
DANÚ
The Danú Restaurant at The Brehon Hotel is a real special-occasion restaurant. Its menu is incredibly varied and features unusual dishes such as seared octopus with carrot and harissa purée alongside classic options such as sticky beef feather blade with sweet red onion, celeriac and apple.
SCOTTS
The Courtyard Restaurant in Scotts Hotel serves the finest food from full Irish breakfasts through to delicious three-course lunches and candlelit evening dinners. The head chef’s menu combines new-style cuisine with many of the traditional Irish favourites.
THE EUROPE HOTEL
The five-star Europe Hotel & Resort offers some of the most mouth-watering cuisine imaginable with a choice of restaurants, from formal fine-dining opportunities to more relaxed options. The Spa Café is open daily from 11am to 7pm, and the dining room enjoys sweeping views over the lake and mountains beyond. The Brasserie Restaurant has a terrace for relaxed al fresco dining. Its menu features everything from light snacks to succulent flamed grills steaks, cooked in front of you by award-winning chefs on an open grill. The Panorama Restaurant has one of the most enviable views in Ireland with vistas of the Lakes of Killarney as well as mountains and gardens stretching before you as you dine.
THE LAURELS
The Laurels is the place to go for delectable bar food in Killarney. This pub has been run by the O’Leary family for almost a century and its beamed ceilings, alcoves and dimly lit corners testify to its grand old age. The food on offer is a mix of old and new. Tiger prawns and beef carpaccio sit alongside dishes such as lamb stew and bacon and cabbage. All dishes are finished to a high standard. Take that bacon and cabbage for example: the bacon has a mustard crust, the cabbage is braised in cider, and it’s all served on a bed of colcannon with a carrot and turnip purée and a white wine and parsley sauce.
PICCOLO PIZZA
Piccolo Pizza is a funky little spot in the heart of Killarney where you can relax and enjoy quality stone baked pizza in an unpretentious setting. Our pizza dough is made fresh daily in our premises by our Italian pizzaioli who is a third generation pizza chef. We only use the finest ingredients of Italian flour, water, yeast and small amounts of salt and sugar. Our vision is to deliver an authentic Italian dining experience to our customers in an environment where they can chill out without stressing over the size of the bill. Don‘t take our word for it – check out our reviews on TripAdvisor. Book ahead to avoid disappointment. 064 663 8626
MALARKEY
Putting the fun back into Irish food, Malarkey is the latest venture of American Seamus O’Connell, formerly head chef at the Parknasilla Resort, TV presenter and owner of the famed Ivory Tower Restaurant in Cork. Seamus aims to ‘present the best Irish food in the world’ in this 90-seat restaurant. If his past form is anything to go by, you can expect fine-dining with a twist, quirky signature dishes and plenty of surprises.
